This was a big year for Micromobility America! The best conference for small electric vehicles has moved to SoCal, happening for the first time on the Orange County Fairgrounds in sunny Costa Mesa, California. This conference features a wide range of small electric vehicles and related technology companies, as well engaging and informative panels featuring industry and policy experts. This year saw the first installment of the Retail Awards, allowing companies to pitch their new product designs before a SharkTank-style panel of judges.
Since Mitch and I are reviewers, we spent most of our time out at the Ride Review test track. Fun fact: This was the first year the test track was big enough to allow motorcycle demo rides! Check out the below video for the full experience; if reading is more your style, then keep scrolling for the highlights.
Electric Motorcycles: Even more cool when you can ride them!
This year's test track was massive, allowing appropriately licensed attendees to jump on e-motos from Ryvid, LAND Energy, Cake, and even custom electric conversions from a company called Shandoka Cycles (more on them coming in a future video and article). The electric motorcycle industry is rapidly growing across the globe, with companies like Ryvid and LAND leading the charge in the United States in recent years. We've had e-motos for some time from big names like Zero and Harley-Davidson, but those tend to be quite expensive, and lock you into a relationship with dealerships by discouraging doing your own repairs or modifications. By contrast, both Ryvid and LAND encourage you to work on your bike, and provide easy access to both parts and service documentation. These companies also have attractive pricing, especially Ryvid; Their newest model, the Outset, starts out at just $6,000, truly a steal for an incredibly refined (and fun) machine. If you want to learn more about this great company, check out our long-term review of the flagship Anthem model.
Cutting-edge trike innovations from Oh Wow Cycles
Oh Wow technically makes a full lineup of e-bikes, but they're rapidly becoming a trike-focused manufacturer. Jump on any of their models and you'll quickly see why; these trikes are simply the best in the business, with incredible utility, polished appearance, and endless clever touches "under the hood". Their latest prototype is a dual-motor driven industrial utility trike, with a massive wheelbase and an eye-popping 1,500 pound weight capacity! It can be kitted out for passenger transport or pure cargo hauling, and is designed for heavy-duty work environments like farms and warehouses.
Are big changes coming to Aventon's lineup? The new Abound SR says yes!
When Aventon announced the new Abound SR, you'd be forgiven for thinking "ok, so it's just a smaller Abound?" As it turns out, it's a different animal entirely! There are too many changes to list here, but the highlights are 5G connectivity, a powerful companion app, and an integrated backup battery which powers anti-theft and tracking features. It also allows for entirely keyless operation; in fact, this e-bike doesn't even come with a key! Simply use the app for things like locking and unlocking the rear stand, and even for removing the main battery.
It's worth mentioning that Aventon's app is also impressively polished; we did a deep dive on it in our Ramblas review, showing how easy it is to do everything from fine-tuning motor response to updating firmware for different components. This is a great direction for one of the country's most popular e-bike brands! Kudos to Aventon for taking the time to integrate technology in meaningful ways, rather than rushing ahead with features that sound cool but don't offer a lot of practical value.
Satisfying carving on the 2Swift, an entirely new type of PEV
As a reviewer, few things are as exciting as getting to try out an entirely new class of electric vehicle. The 2Swift is essentially what you'd get by removing the stem from an electric scooter, then rigging it up to work with an electric skateboard remote. Since it only has two wheels it needs to be in motion to stay balanced, which makes it more challenging to ride than either an electric skateboard or a traditional scooter. With that said it will be very easy to pick up for anyone who has experience with board sports; start off like you're scooting on a snowboard with one foot strapped in, hit the throttle, and start carving! Like on a snowboard, speed is your friend and balance is much easier when you're carving side to side instead of straight-lining. The unique negative-rake design means that when you're turning, the deck can actually lean side to side, allowing you to lean into your carves in a way that just isn't possible on e-skate boards, or even the ever-popular OneWheel.
The 2Swift is also surprisingly easy to move around when you're not riding it. The frame above the front wheel doubles as a carry handle for rolling it around on the rear wheel, great for segments on public transit or a quick run into the grocery store. Another advantage is range, which is estimated at 24-36 miles. That's comparable range to an electric scooter, which are a pretty efficient form of transport; but by contrast, the 2Swift is WAY more fun to ride! I'd have to spend more time with it to say for sure, but I think I'd prefer it to e-skate boards or even a OneWheel (both of which are disadvantaged for range, and quite inconvenient to lug around when not riding).
